


What is a Wish worth?

by stickdonkeys



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Captured Ladybug, Chat Noir To The Rescue, F/M, Gabriel's A+ parenting, Hawk Moth Redemption, Hawk Moth has a soul?, Identity Reveal
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-26
Updated: 2019-12-02
Packaged: 2020-02-04 10:01:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,123
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18602266
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stickdonkeys/pseuds/stickdonkeys
Summary: When Hawk Moth chooses a new victim (read volunteer) with a true dark streak and not just someone having a bad day, does he bite off more than he bargained for? When the new akumatized volunteer captures Ladybug, he finds himself wondering if there a limit to what he is willing to allow to happen to accomplish his goals. Is a Miraculous wish worth his soul? While he wants his wife back, how many lives is hers worth?





	1. Darkness and Fire

Paris, the city of lights. Even so, there were dark alleys available if you knew where to look. And he knew where to look. Many nights of practice had taught him. He smiled to himself as he stalked his target. He wouldn’t call her prey, but that was what she was. Young, alone, blonde. She was perfect.

He knew the moment she realized she was being followed. The way she checked over he shoulder, not quite turning to look at him but not _not_ looking either. The way her steps faltered for a moment before clicking along slightly more quickly in the heals he knew she now regretted. Her fear was almost palpable. This was his favorite part; the chase. He quickened his steps as she neared the next alley, it was dark enough and his car was nearby. He could feel the swell of excitement that always came with the chase. A smile crept up his face, only to fall as the girl exclaimed and threw her arms around a young man coming out of a store.

His excitement crumbled and it was everything he could do not to curse aloud. She had been perfect! Exactly what he had been looking for all night and now it was over. How could she do that to him? There would be no outlet for his frustration that night and the disappointment was more than he could bear. As he wallowed in his own misery, he felt something touch him. It was a barely-there caress, like a butterfly wing. And then a voice spoke in his mind.

_Inquisitor,_ it said. _I am Hawk Moth. I will grant you the power to avenge your wrongs, but you must do something for me in return. I require Ladybug and Cat Noir’s miraculous. Can you get them for me?_

“Easily,” the man replied. He could feel Hawkmoth’s satisfaction with his response in the seconds before he was enveloped in smoke leaving a man dressed in red robes in his place. He could feel the power flowing through him, more intoxicating even than taking a life. He would get those miraculous and then the power would be his to keep forever.

Miles away, Hawkmoth withdrew slightly from the mind of his newest victim. While he had little doubt that this new akuma could complete the task, there was a darkness there that left him feeling unclean. Even Chloe’s mind hadn’t left him so . . . troubled. He wordlessly decided that he would be taking a more hands-on approach with this akuma. He feared for Paris otherwise.

**ooOO88OOoo**

Marinette awoke suddenly to the sound of sirens. She sat upright in her bed, reaching for her phone instinctively to check the local news. It seemed that a giant pyre had been built near the Eiffel Tower. There was a suspicion that it was a new akuma but no villain had yet made its presence known.

“Tiki?” she asked, wondering if her kwami thought it was an akuma or just some prankster she could ignore and go back to bed.

“What do you think, Marinette?” Tiki replied, a small smile on her face.

“Of course, it’s an akuma,” Marinette sighed. “Tiki, spots on.” A flash of pink light later, Ladybug was climbing out of the upper window of the bakery before swinging across Paris in the direction of the massive pyre. _Hopefully, this one is quick_ , she thought as she jumped across a gap between roofs. _I could really use the sleep._ She dropped to street level and began towards the pyre, the flickering flames casting moving shadows in the dark alleyways. She continually glanced around, looking for a sign of her new foe, but she could see no sign of it. Suddenly something rushed out of the darkness. It rammed into her, knocking her to the ground. Her cheek hit the floor hard enough to daze her and before she could get her feet under her to turn and face her attacker, there was an arm around her neck. She reached for it, trying to pull it away but blackness crept into her vision, slowly blocking it out leaving only the burning pyre before it too was gone.

As he glanced down at the unconscious superheroine in his arms, he was shocked by just how easy that had been. He had taken normal women that put up more of a fight. It would be so easy, too easy, to take her earrings and leave the girl in the street. He would then have her feline companion to deal with, and he would likely put up more of a fight. But why fight when he could take an easier path? A more fun path.

_I need his ring,_ Hawkmoth reminded him, his voice curt. _You can’t avoid a fight with him._

‘I know,’ Inquisitor replied, rolling his eyes as he hoisted the girl onto his shoulder. ‘I think she would make better bait as Ladybug. And I know just the place. Quiet, secluded. We can restrain her, and no one will hear her scream.’ Hawkmoth felt his skin crawl at the implication but shook it off. This was for his goal. He needed this to succeed.

_Where?_ He asked, wanting to ensure that this akuma was kept on as tight a leash as possible to minimize collateral damage. An image popped into his head of a blue shipping crate and a map of where to find it. He nodded and began the trek. While he preferred to work from the shadows, that had not worked well so far. He also didn’t trust this minion to deliver the miraculous were they acquired. No, it was best that he be there. It did no good to acquire his prize only for another to receive his wish.

**ooOO88OOoo**

Adrian, too, had heard the sirens and guessed what they meant. With much less reluctance than his partner, he had transformed into Cat Noir, leaping out his window and making his way across the city, enjoying the freedom and the night air. No sooner had he reached the site of the pyre and begun his investigation, and his search for Ladybug, then the pyre suddenly extinguished itself. He glanced around at the shocked spectators before taking a bow.

“I suppose you could say that was purrfect timing. All that was needed was my coolness to put out the fire,” he said with a grin. A few of them laughed at his joke. But he glanced around in concern. His partner was nowhere to be found. She would have made fun of him for his poor wordplay. _Maybe she missed the sirens_ , he thought sadly. He didn’t have too long to worry though. The firemen’s radio began calling them all to another blaze. This time the pyre was at the Louvre. With a small grin, he once again took to the rooftops. Ladybug was sure to hear about this one. She would be there for certain.


	2. Questions and Strong Wills

Ladybug awoke slowly, her head throbbing. Her neck was also sore and she wondered just why she was sleeping sitting up. She never did that. She tried to move her hand to rub her eyes only to find that it wouldn’t move. Neither would the other one. With a groan, she attempted to open her eyes only to shut them quickly as the light stabbed, sharp and blinding. She tried to piece together what had happened.

She could remember the sirens, becoming Ladybug. Arriving at the pyre at the Tower, then . . . nothing. She had no idea where she was or how she had gotten there. Fear began to flood her veins as she realized she had no idea why she was tied up or by who. Likely the akuma but was she alone? Had Cat Noir also been captured? Needing to know the answer, she forced her eyes open, ignoring how the lights made her head throb. She was in a metal room, restrained by what looked like the same metal in the walls. There was a table with sharp implements on the far wall but nothing else that she could see. As she continued to look around for any clues, a flat, emotionless voice spoke.

“So, finally awake?” he asked. “I was almost worried you had died.”

“Alive and well,” she replied, looking for the source. “Sorry to disappoint you.”

“Oh, my dear,” he said, stepping into her line of sight, his face invisible under the red hood of his robes. “That actually gives me great pleasure.”

“What do you want?” she demanded, something about him making her quite uncomfortable, even for an akuma.

“Your miraculous,” he said, shrugging as though it were the simplest thing in the world. “Yours and Cat Noir’s.”

“Then why didn’t you take it?” she asked, growing more warry by the moment. “I was unconscious and restrained. It would have been easy.”

“But then you couldn’t have called your friend,” he countered. “And you will call him for me.” She said nothing, unnerved by his certainty that she would do as he wished. Her eyes flicked to the table on the other side of the room and he laughed.

“Don’t worry,” he said. “Those aren’t for you. Hawkmoth has given me better ways of making you talk. Would you like to see?”

“Not particularly,” she responded, knowing it to be futile. People didn’t just abduct people and bring them to steel rooms if they just want to talk.

“Then tell me how to call him,” the man said. She said nothing, glaring at him defiantly. He smiled. “I’d hoped you would want to do it this way,” he said before placing just his little finger on the exposed skin of her cheek. Pain instantly flooded her body, feeling like she was being bludgeoned from multiple angles all at once. It hurt but it was bearable and she didn’t give him the satisfaction of screaming. When he removed his hand, she was left panting slightly but still managed to glare at him in defiance.

“You’ll have to do better than that,” she ground out. “I won’t betray my partner.” He nodded, a look of mild appreciation just visible. This time it was his little and ring finger that touched her cheek. This time, along with the previous blunt force, there was the feeling that her body was being stretched. Her joints protested and she couldn’t stop the small whimper that left her. When he stopped, there was a shudder to her breath that hadn’t been there before.

“Are you ready to tell me yet?” he asked, his tone suggesting that he hoped she wasn’t. She swallowed hard, knowing what she had to say but wanting to delay what she knew would follow it.

“I won’t betray my partner,” she repeated, hoping her eyes were more steady than her voice. She couldn’t stop her flinch as he stepped forward once more, three fingers reaching for her face. She turned away, knowing that it was futile when suddenly more light flooded the room as a door was opened.

“You’re in trouble now,” she taunted. “What took you so long, kit—” the question died in her mouth as the figure, too large to be Cat Noir, closed the door behind him. Without the backlighting, the identity was obvious. It was Hawkmoth. She wasn’t saved; she was doomed.

“Who’s in trouble?” Inquisitor taunted, reaching for her once more. This time she did scream as the feeling of being cut by sharp knives joined the blunt force and the stretching. As little as she wanted him to be captured, she could only hope that Cat Noir would come soon and save her. She couldn’t see a way out without him.  

**ooOO88OOoo**

Miles away, Cat Noir was beginning to become frustrated. He had been to the Eiffel Tower, the Louver, the Arc de Triomphe, and Notre Dame arriving just as the pyre burned out at each of them. There had been no sign of either the akuma or Ladybug. He was beginning to think that he was being led on a wild goose chase to keep him occupied. He was growing concerned about his partner’s continued absence when what was happening _had_ to be on the news.

“Where are you, Ladybug?” he muttered aloud, prepared to attempt to call her when more sirens and the light of another pyre drew his attention. He almost ignored it. It wasn’t like the fires were doing any damage anyway.  They seemed to be contained and when they extinguished, they weren’t even scorching the pavement. And then he heard that it was on the top of the Montparnasse Tower. With a sigh he began the run to the newest attraction. Silently promising himself that if she didn’t show this time, he would call her. He hoped that it wouldn’t come to that.

**ooOO88OOoo**

Back at the crate, Inquisitor and Ladybug were still having a battle of wills while Hawkmoth watched from the door.

“How can you call him?” Inquisitor asked, gripping her by the face with his left hand, making sure that his thumb pressed the bruise on her cheekbone from where she had fallen when he had first attacked her. He was pleased when a soft whimper left her.

“I can’t call him,” she replied, her voice hoarse. “I don’t know who he is. Not if he’s not transformed.” She hoped that he wasn’t. Despite her best efforts, she wasn’t sure how much longer she could hold out against this. She wasn’t sure why Hawkmoth had chosen this particular powerset this time, but each finger seemed to add a new pain. She wasn’t sure how many combinations he had or how many she could take.

“Oh, he’s transformed,” Inquisitor said. “I made mess enough to signal you both. Fires and sirens . . . they do tend to get people’s attention. Call him.”

“No,” she said, her eyes hard, already anticipating the pain she knew would follow her choice. She winced as he released her face and he smiled, bringing four of his fingers to rest on her cheek. Suddenly she was screaming, though Hawkmoth could see no obvious sign of a wound. When he wondered how long she could scream, it stopped only to be replaced by sobs a moment later. He found that he couldn’t look at her, though the glimpses of her broken sobbing form seemed to be burned into his retina. He tried to remind himself that she was an obstacle. He knew this was for the greater good, but it felt wrong.

“How do you call him?” Inquisitor repeated, his voice both agitated and soft. “Tell me and I can make all of this stop. If you won’t then. . . ”

“I can’t betray him,” she whispered. “No! No, please!” she yelled before her screams again pierced the air, this time with audible cracks though no weapon or wound was visible. _It’s for the greater good,_ Hawkmoth reminded himself as his stomach rolled. _I must have both Miraculous._ Even so, it felt distasteful. She was his enemy, but also a child. Still, they _had_ to have the ring and she had to bring it to them. Then, mercifully, the screaming stopped.

“How do you call him?” Inquisitor repeated. Ladybug said nothing, though her sobs continued to rend the air. Once they quieted to shuddering gasps, Inquisitor raised his hand once more.

“Please, child,” Hawkmoth cut-in, holding his own hand up to stop his minion, “tell us what we need, and we’ll hurt you no more. I promise.”

“F-forgive me i-if I don’t b-believe you,” Ladybug managed, her pained blue eyes turning to him, anger burning in them. “Yo-you’re not e-exactly a-a hero.”

“You don’t know what my wish would be,” he reminded her softly, coming forward to wipe a tear from her cheek, surreptitiously placing himself between them. “I _need_ Cat Noir’s ring. Call him for me and we will leave you be. Once I have both the miraculous and have made my wish you can both leave. We won’t stop you.” She opened her mouth to respond, but her yoyo began ringing at that moment. She closed her eyes and her head dropped in defeat. _At least I tried,_ she thought bitterly.

“It seems we don’t need you to call him,” Inquisitor scoffed, reaching under Hawkmoth’s arm to grab the yoyo. “He called you.” Hawkmoth stepped away from his proximity, uncomfortable with him being so close, as Inquisitor took the yoyo and opened the lid, activating the call. Seconds later, Cat Noir’s relieved voice was audible.

“Ladybug! I was getting worried. There’s a new akuma on the loose and—”

“He has captured her,” Inquisitor cut him off. “Yes, I have your precious Ladybug and I will kill her unless you come to the shipping yard, the blue crate. Come alone.”

“How do I know you didn’t just manage to get her yoyo?” Cat Noir asked, his tone suggesting that even he did not believe it.

“See for yourself,” Inquisitor replied, turning the communicator to face Ladybug.

“Don’t come,” she begged, hoping he could hear her over his indignant yell. “It’s a trap. Hawkmoth—” Inquisitor shut the communicator, cutting her message short.

“Oh no,” he mocked. “A bad connection. He didn’t get the rest of your message. Hopefully, he got enough of it. So, Hawkmoth, I suppose we don’t need Ladybug any more.” Her eyes went wide in panic as he approached her, malice radiating from him in waves.

“No, no, no,”  she said shaking her head, knowing she was about to die. Hawkmoth moved to step between them not wanting Inquisitor to kill her but that was not his intention. He reached up and delicately plucked the red and black polka dotted earrings from her ears. Instantly her red and black suit began fading, revealing a thin, young girl in a tank top and shorts. Her pale skin was covered in bruises and cuts that the body suit had hidden. Hawkmoth was shocked at how young she truly was under the mask. He knew he had seen her before with his son. It was then that he remembered who she was; Marinette, the young designer his son spent time with. He would never have guessed. Such a soft-spoken and clumsy girl, his worst enemy.

“Take them,” Inquisitor said, dropping the earrings into Hawkmoth’s hands as though they were nothing, startling him from his contemplation. He was shocked at how little they weighed, such important things as they were.

“Free her,” Hawkmoth ordered sharply, he would not see her harmed further. Inquisitor stopped, turning to him in shock. “I promised her she would not be harmed further if she helped. He’s been contacted. Free her.” The girl looked at him in shock, she truly hadn’t expected him to keep his word. “Even villains have codes,” Hawkmoth replied to the unasked question in her gaze.

“She didn’t help,” Inquisitor countered, reaching for her with one finger. “In fact, she warned him that it’s a trap. She should be punished.” Hawkmoth saw her face crumble as she tried to push into the metal wall of the crate to put more distance between them. Her fear was much plainer without the mask covering half of her face.

“He already knew it was a trap,” Hawkmoth spat, stepping forward. “He’s not stupid. The minute you answered, he knew it was a trap. Free her.”

“Or you’ll take my powers?” Inquisitor mocked. “You don’t have the willpower, Mothy. If it’s me versus you I will win.”

“I can and I will,” Hawkmoth replied, a steal in his voice that he didn’t fully feel, unsure if he could take powers from an adult that seemingly had no conscience. Lila had given hers up freely and the only other times he had tried had been children with weak wills. And they had caved at the mere threat.

“Fine,” Inquisitor scoffed, snapping his fingers and rolling his eyes. The girl fell with a groan, her legs unable to support her. Inquisitor watched apathetically as she curled around herself, sobbing.

“Wait outside,” Hawkmoth ordered, unnerved by the lack of concern the other man had for the child he had injured. Hawkmoth knew he had done terrible things as well, but they had always been for a purpose and not just for the joy of it. Inquisitor shrugged, heading for the door of the crate. "We don't want to be taken by surprise."

“Tie her up or kill her,” he said over his shoulder. “She may not have powers, but she could still fight. Nothing is _too_ broken.” Hawkmoth shuddered as the akumatized man closed the door. There was something unnatural about him, even beyond being possessed by an akuma. For the first time, he wondered if Inquisitor had been a mistake. He then turned his attention to the girl. She flinched as he approached, her sobs increasing.

“You don’t have to fear me,” he whispered, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. “I spoke the truth when I said we won’t torture you.”

“Why?” she asked, glancing up at him with distrustful blue eyes. He smiled softly and shook his head.

“Despite what you think, I am not heartless,” Hawkmoth replied. She scoffed, before groaning.

“He said nothing was _too_ broken,” Hawkmoth said, his eyes narrowing as he looked her over. “Is anything broken?”

“I don’t know,” she moaned. “Everything hurts. Even breathing.” He noticed she was holding her left arm tightly against her side as if bracing herself.

“May I?” he asked, reaching for that side before she had even acknowledged his question. She pulled away sharply with a groan.

“Do I get a vote?” she snapped.

“Yes,” he said pulling back slightly. “I will help you if you will allow it. Or you can lay there in pain. Your choice.” She said nothing for a moment, closing her eyes. Then without a word, she lifted her arm slightly, allowing him access. Marinette closed her eyes, unsure of what to expect but knowing that she needed help. She was shocked at how gentle his touch was as he felt along her side, retracting slightly when she flinched only to return to the same spot even more gently.

“I think they’re broken,” Hawkmoth said his voice causing her to jump. “I’ll have to bind them. There’s a cloth in the corner might work.”

“Why?” she asked, uncurling slightly to look up at him. “Why are you helping me?”

“Because you are a child,” Hawkmoth replied. “An injured child who was caught in the crossfire of a conflict you cannot understand. I needed your Miraculous. I did not need you injured or killed.” She said nothing but continued to look at him in doubt.

“Haven’t you noticed that no one ever dies from my akumatizations?” Hawkmoth asked. “It’s not that I couldn’t do it. I could. I could give them more lethal powers. They sometimes ask. But I don’t. I do not want people dead. I just want my wish.”

“Was it worth it?” she asked, tears filling her blue eyes. He said nothing, turning his attention to tending her wounds. It wasn’t that she didn’t deserve a response, it was that he wasn’t sure he knew the answer. Not anymore.


	3. Hearts vs. Heads

Cat Noir made his way across the rooftops of Paris with a vengeance. Part of him whispered that he should go to Master Fu for reinforcements before springing the trap that he knew waited for him but he couldn’t listen to it. Ladybug needed him. He’d seen the pleading, the helplessness, in her eyes. The sense of being trapped. It called to him and galvanized him even more than the bruise on her cheek. No one should be trapped, caged. She’d asked him not to come but he couldn’t listen, not this time.

As he reached the shipping yard he saw it. The only solid blue crate. It was on the far end of the lot, near the water but not on it. _The perfect place to kill someone and get rid of the body_ , he thought, the idea chilling his blood.

“Please, be alive,” he whispered as he jumped to the ground across from the crate and began making his way to it. From the outside there was no sign of activity, there were also no audible cries. He took a deep breath, knowing he was walking into a trap. His hand hovered over the handle wondering if he should rethink this plan and go for reinforcements when a muffled but anguished scream rent the air. All thoughts of reinforcements vanished as he grabbed the handle and opened the door.

**ooOO88OOoo**

He had gotten her ribs bound as was working on one of the numerous cuts when the door opened once more, causing the girl to flinch violently and attempt to back further into the corner along the floor before her wrists and ankles were once more encased in metal.

“What are you doing?” Hawkmoth snapped, irritated by the lack of respect this new akuma had for his authority. “I ordered you outside and to leave her alone. Why have you disobeyed me?” Something in the question stirred Marinette’s memory, but before she could place it, fear chased it away as Inquisitor approached her.

“He’s here,” he said, “or almost.”

“And?” Hawkmoth demanded.

“She will help him if she can,” Inquisitor replied. “Even if she can’t be Ladybug. Or she can help us.” He reached for her shoulder and she tried to pull away, the metal restraint biting into her wrist drawing blood.

“She can’t help him or us,” Hawkmoth countered, grabbing his wrist. “She’s too injured to fight and he’s already come.”

“But he’s smart,” Inquisitor countered, pulling his wrist free from Hawkmoth. “And he knows it’s a trap. We need him thinking with his heart not his head. Her pain would do that.”

“I promised she’d be safe,” Hawkmoth insisted.

“I didn’t,” Inquisitor said, his hand shooting out to grab her arm with three fingers. The smell of blood filled the air as new cuts spread slowly across her skin, bruises forming in other places instantly. Though she arched her back, she refused to scream. She wouldn’t let her weakness be the reason that Cat Noir was captured. Not as long as she could resist.

“Admirable,” Inquisitor said, pulling back and giving her a moment to catch her breath before he touched her, just his thumb. This time she did scream. It felt as though fire was raging through her veins and despite her best efforts the cry tore up her throat and reverberated around the crate. Before it had even died, the door was being flung open and an enraged Cat Noir entered, his baton before him like a sword. His eyes roamed the crate taking in the table and noting that there were both weapons and hazards there before landing on Hawkmoth, a red-hooded man and . . . Marinette?

“Where’s Ladybug?” he demanded, glaring at the new akuma and Hawkmoth. “If you release both her and Marinette I may let you both walk out of here.”

“Ladybug’s gone,” Inquisitor taunted.

“Gone?” Cat Noir asked, feeling ice in his veins at the thought that she was dead. . . that he had failed her.

“I took her Miraculous,” Inquisitor replied. “There is no more Ladybug. Only a sniveling, cowering child.” He nudged Marinette with a foot causing her to whimper.

“Marinette?” Cat Noir breathed. She looked at him, her blue eyes—the same shade as Ladybug’s—pleading with him for forgiveness. “Oh, Marinette.” He sighed, she looked miserable. He felt rage burn in him again at the sight of her pale skin marred by bruises and cuts. Hawkmoth had gone too far! He would pay for this.

“Watch out!” she gasped, reminding him of the akuma just in time to dodge an open hand, the man’s shoulder grazing his as he passed.

“Don’t let him touch you!” she warned. He nodded and proceeding to fight, dodging the open palms, flinching as a finger grazed his cheek, shooting pain through him. It left him panting but he tried to shake it off, using his baton to keep the akumatized man back. He couldn’t keep it up. The man was too fast, the crate too small and then it wasn’t just the man; Hawkmoth joined the fight. He held his own for a moment, but he was rapidly losing ground against their combined onslaught. He was expecting that any second he would hit the wall but instead, his heels hit flesh, tripping him and sending him falling.

Somehow, he managed to twist in the air and come down on his knees and hands rather than on the girl he had tripped over and, not for the first time was glad of his cat-themed powers. Before he could recover and rise, he felt something close around both of his ankles, pinning him above her. She smiled up at him sadly before her eyes widened with fear, looking past him.

“I need your ring,” Hawkmoth said simply.

“Don’t ask,” Inquisitor groaned. “Just take it. Watch.” He bent to take the ring and Cat Noir smirked, remembering a similar situation with Ananzi.

“Cataclysm,” he muttered, charging the ring with magic and grinning up Inquisitor. “ Go on, take it.” He said with a smirk, turning back to Marinette hoping to gloat with her. He heard Marinette’s warning and saw horror flit through her eyes before his vision went white as pain flooded his body. As suddenly as it came, it was gone, only the fine tremors and lingering twinges reminding him of its presence.

“Release the spell and give me the ring,” Inquisitor said.

“Don’t think I will,” Cat Noir ground out only for the pain to return, stronger than before. When it was released this time, it left him panting. He could feel blood trickling under the fabric of his suit, but he ignored it.

“How much pain are you willing to take for a piece of jewelry?” Inquisitor asked.

“As much as I must to stop you,” Cat Noir said, wishing he sounded surer.

“How much are you willing to inflict?” the man asked. This time, as the hand entered his vision it wasn’t coming to him but Marinette. Without thinking, he shot his arm between them, blocking the descent, wondering if touching cloth would blunt the force of it. It didn’t.

“Cat?” she asked as his screams faded with the loss of the touch. While he was clearly still conscious, it worried her that he had not quippy remarks.

“I’m fine,” he panted. His forehead resting on hers, as he continued to hold his weight on his shaking elbows and knees. “I don’t know how long I can block him,” he whispered, green eyes opening to meet her blues. “I’ll do my best, but—"

“I know,” she said, fear, understanding, and pain in her gaze. “You don’t have to try.”

“I do,” he argued. “I’m the one refusing to give him what he wants.”

“A decision I support,” she returned. “This didn’t happen to me because I just gave up. We’re in this together. Partners?”

“Always,” he replied with a sad smile. “To the end?”

“Always,” she repeated a sad smile of her own in place. He wondered again how he had never seen that she was Ladybug. That quiet strength, her unyielding dedication to justice, it was obvious now that he knew.

“If it’s the end you want, that’s what you can have,” Inquisitor said, breaking their private conversation with a sardonic grin. “I bet that spell dies when you do.”

“Don’t know, I’ve never died before,” Cat Noir shot back, bravado he didn’t feel coloring the words. He didn’t want to die, but he couldn’t do what Hawkmoth wanted. No matter how noble the wish, it was too much power for one person to hold. He couldn’t contribute to that goal, even if his death did nothing to stop it.

“I’m not joking boy,” the akumatized man snapped. “I tire of this game. Give me what I want, or I will kill you both.”

“Then I suppose we’ll die,” Marinette said softly. “You won’t let us live anyway. We may as well get it over with.”

“I’m not bluffing,” Inquisitor said snapping his fingers and causing a large boulder on a thin nylon rope to appear above them. “Are you?” He gave the crank attached to the rope a bounce and it creaked ominously. “Oh, no,” he said, mock concern in his tone. “It seems it’s too heavy. I hope the rope doesn’t break before you come to your senses.” Marinette’s eyes widened and her face crumbled as she fought tears, but she said nothing. Cat Noir looked up at her changed expression and saw the boulder, his own face hardening with resolve.

“I’m sorry, M’lady,” Cat Noir whispered placing his forehead against hers again, supporting his weight on his elbows in a futile attempt to shield her body from the end they both knew was coming. “I only have one shot. It’s not enough to free either of us. I can delay it but . . . I’m so sorry. I’m sorry I couldn’t save us.” _You,_ he silently finished.

“Me too,” Marinette breathed closing her eyes and allowing the tears to fall. “I wasn’t strong enough either. You-you’ve been a great partner and friend. I-I love you, Cat.” In that moment she wasn’t sure it was simply platonic love either. He had defended her, and not for the first time. Just as she had attempted to defend him. As much as she cared for Adrien they would never have that kind of bond. She wished now that she had given him a chance rather than mooning over Adrien. 

“Adrien,” he whispered in her ear, the word little more than a breath. She froze thinking that she had said his name aloud in her thoughts and hurt Cat's feelings now, at the end. She looked up at him in apology and was surprised to see that he wasn't mad. 

“My name,” he clarified at her shocked expression. “If we’re going to die, I want you to know my name. And I love you too, Marinette. I should have known you were Ladybug.” She laughed, the sound turning into a sob as it jarred her wounds. Of course, her crush and her partner were one and the same. It had never been an either/or situation. Fate was too cruel sometimes. She knew that she should feel more surprise at the reveal, but it seemed small in the face of both of their deaths. Every creak of the rope caused them both to flinch, wondering if it would be the last before the rope broke and they were both crushed beneath the weight. Marinette felt a tear strike her face to mingle with her own and wished she could promise that it would all be ok, but she couldn’t. There was no way out of this one.


	4. crossed lines

Hawkmoth stood by, shifting his weight uncomfortably as the minutes stretched on. This was wrong. Injuring them in a fight was one thing. Torturing Ladybug, while unpalatable, had been understandable. There was nothing about this that he could justify. Emilie would not want to be saved. Not at the cost of the lives of children. Not through their pain. Their terror.

“Stop,” he choked, the word harder to say than he knew it would have been. “Inquisitor, stop.” The man looked up, confusion present in his otherwise impassive face. The lack of empathy there chilled Hawkmoth to the bone. How could he look at children afraid for their lives and feel  _nothing_?

“Enough,” he ordered, his disgust coloring his tone. “Free them. I will not allow them to be killed. Not for this.”

“And how will you stop me?” Inquisitor asked, a smirk crossing his face. “If you take my powers, I lose control of the crank and they are crushed. You may have created me, but you cannot control me.”

"The rock will vanish as well," Hawkmoth countered. "It was created with your magic; with it gone the rock will disappear."

"Are you sure?" Inquisitor taunted. "Even if it does, would it be soon enough to save their lives? Or do you think you are quick enough?" With that he released the crank and it spun free, the rock falling with gravity. Hawkmoth started forward, knowing that he wouldn't be there soon enough but needing to try only for Cat Noir to raise his hand and release the cataclysm he held, disintegrating the rock. 

"I know all I did was delay it but I . . . I don't want to die," Cat whispered, the confession for Marinette only but they all heard it. The desperation and apology in his voice tore at Hawkmoth.

"Neither do I," she admitted. "It may only be a few more minutes, but thank you."

"You could just give us what we want," Inquisitor said, shrugging as if it didn't matter, his eyes narrowing as Hawkmoth inched closer to him. Neither of them said anything, but their silence was an answer in and of itself. "Have it your way," Inquisitor said, snapping his fingers and causing another, larger boulder to appear. This time the rope creaked from the weight alone without movement. Soon it would fall. Knowing that Inquisitor was a lost cause, Marinette turned to Hawkmoth. Despite being her enemy, he had shown compassion. He had said he didn't want this. Maybe he could stop it.

Hawkmoth gritted his teeth. The trust and plea in her eyes were too much. He wanted to stop it, not just for them but for himself. For Emilie. But, little as he liked it, Inquisitor was right. Even if it was in his abilities to take his powers, he couldn’t do it now. If the timing was off, they would still die. Every step he took closer, Inquisitor lowered the rope, like the other man knew what he was thinking. No, the only way was to make the insane akuma see reason. 

“You will free them,” Hawkmoth ordered, trying to put certainty into his voice that he didn't feel. “They have served their purpose. He will give us his ring to save her life. He’s even restrained. We can just take it.”

“And risk his cataclysm? No, we can kill him and take it,” Inquisitor countered, releasing the wheel and allowing it to drop a few feet before stopping it inches from Cat Noir and raising it again. Marinette whimpered, burying her head in Cat Noir’s shoulder.

“Kill us or don’t,” she sobbed, “but stop this. I-I can’t do this anymore.”

“Hush, Bugaboo,” Cat Noir muttered, petting her with his left hand, supporting his weight on his right forearm, wishing that his power wasn't a one-off thing. “Don’t give them the satisfaction. It’s what he wants. They want us to suffer.”

“Free them,” Hawkmoth repeated, ice creeping into his words as her fear and his resignation strengthened his resolve. He stepped forward, grabbing his cane, prepared to fight if he had to. While he preferred to watch from the shadows, he could get physical if he had to. "He has used his power. We can just take the ring. Free those children." Sensing that he had triggered something unexpected and unsure what it would cause, Inquisitor nodded. 

“For a villain, you have no stomach for evil,” Inquisitor sighed before snapping his free fingers causing the rope and stone to disappear. “If you don’t kill them they will seek vengeance. You'll never be free”

“He can't use his cataclysm; she's restrained. I have her earrings. I can take the ring,” Hawkmoth countered. “Without the source of their powers. They cannot hurt me.”

“They have friends,” Inquisitor replied, rolling his eyes with a tone that implied he was speaking to an exceptionally dull child. 

“Who will also seek vengeance for their deaths,” Hawkmoth replied, his tone mirroring the akuma's. “You have very little foresight for a villain. Besides, they do not know who they are under the costumes, I saw his face when he saw her. He was shocked. If even Ladybug and Cat Noir do not know who the other is, the ancillary superheroes certainly don’t know. Killing these children accomplishes nothing. It can be accomplished without their deaths."

“I thought you would give anything for your goal?” Inquisitor demanded, angered by Hawkmoth’s criticism. “What are two lives in the face of your ultimate goal?”

“Two unnecessary lives sully my goal,” Hawkmoth snapped. “Emilie would not want to be saved through the lives of children.” Marinette did not miss the way that Cat Noir, Adrien, flinched at the name. “There is a time for killing and this is not it. You are much too fond of killing.  I strip you of your powers.” Hawkmoth waved his hand dismissively. Nothing happened. Inquisitor was still there.

“I told you, you lack the willpower, Hawky,” Inquisitor taunted, stalking forward reaching out for the other man. “Just as you lack the will to do what you must to win. Unlike you, I don't. I will kill you and then them and then no one can stop me from doing as I will.”

“I have the will,” Hawkmoth replied, drawing up to his full height, knowing that there was no coming back from what he had planned. There could be no more Hawkmoth after this. Not if Marinette and Cat Noir survived. His secret would be gone but the world would not survive Inquisitor. Emilie would understand.

“I have the will," he repeated, feeling his magic within the akuma and binding it to his transformation. "And will do what I must for the greater good.” With a sigh, Hawkmoth closed his eyes, releasing the transformation with a flash of purple and leaving Gabriel Agreste standing in his place. With the loss of Hawkmoth to power him, Inquisitor was surrounded by grey smoke before returning to nothing more than the man he had once been, a white butterfly circling the roof of the crate.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the brevity, this was the only cut point that made sense and didn't make for a nearly 5K chapter. Hope you enjoyed it.


	5. Relationships and Dilemmas

Cat Noir and Marinette had been watching the entire exchange ever since Hawkmoth had begun to defend them. Neither entirely sure what was going on. Hawkmoth had created the akuma, given it that powerset, why was he now opposing it? Neither expected the flash of light as his transformation fell away. Or who it would reveal.

“No,” she breathed as the transformation fell away revealing the man behind Hawkmoth. “Cat, I . . .”

“My father,” he whispered, his forehead touching hers, not moving from above her even though his ankles were no longer bound to the floor. “You were right. All those months ago . . . ”

“I didn’t want to be,” she replied, her hand coming up to thread into his blonde hair, holding his forehead to hers. “Even when I didn’t know you were you. I didn’t want to hurt Adrian that way. You. I. . . I'm so sorry.”

“Cat Noir,” Gabriel said turning to the superhero, noticing as he did that the boy’s face was frozen in a mask of shock. As he took a step towards them, the boy was suddenly on his feet, baton out in his hands, standing between him and the injured girl. There was a pain and anger in his eyes that seemed disproportionate even to their current situation. It almost looked like betrayal.

“I do not want to fight you,” Gabriel sighed, holding his hands up, palms out but stopping his approach. “I tire of the fighting. I just need your ring. I will make my wish and give it back. I only need it for a moment. I swear to you I will give it back and Hawkmoth will be no more.”

“No,” Cat Noir replied, his voice wet with tears. “I can’t do that. I've always done what you wanted and I know what wish you would make, and if I were to make a wish it would be mine too but you cannot bring her back that way. There would be a price. Magic always has a price. I miss her too, but she wouldn’t want that. She wouldn't want someone else to suffer for her to return.”

“How have you . . . wait, you miss her?” Gabriel asked, his face revealing his confusion at the statement. He decided to completely ignore the boy's statement that he had done what was wanted in favor of wondering just how he could presume to know what his wife would have wanted.  

“Of course, I miss her,” Cat Noir snapped, drawing in on himself slightly. “She was my mother. I . . . I would do almost anything to have her back. But there is a cost! She wouldn’t _want_ that.”

“Your mother?” Gabriel breathed, knowing but refusing to believe what was being said. There was no way that he had nearly killed his son to save his wife. He would have known if Adrien was Cat Noir. It was impossible. Even if it made sense of so many of Adrien's odd behaviors of late, his new obsession with the ring and cheese. There was no way that his son could have been his nemesis; he's ensured it with the test with Gorzilla. Still, he couldn't take his eyes off the young superhero, trying to see his son's features in Cat Noir and failing. Other than the blonde hair and green eyes he couldn't see it.

"My mother," he said, fighting the urge to squirm as his father inspected him like a faulty design. With a soft sob, Cat Noir closed his eyes. There was a green flash and Adrien stood where Cat Noir had moments before. Tears filled his green eyes and his jaw trembled. He knew that he shouldn't have. It was his father, but it was also Hawkmoth. But Hawkmoth's secret was gone, too. There would be no more akumatizations. There was no need to keep his identity a secret any longer. Besides, Marinette already knew and Hawkmoth--his father--knew who she was as well. If his father chose to make it an issue, he preferred that he be the focus rather than her. 

“My mother,” he repeated. Gabriel stared at him as though he were a ghost. In reality, it was Gabriel who felt like a ghost. He couldn't feel his hands or face and all he could hear was his blood rushing in his ears. It didn't seem that there was any air in the crate and he reached back to steady himself on the wall, worried that he was going to fall as the world shifted under him. He couldn't believe it. Wouldn't believe it. All this time. He’d been fighting his son all this time in a quest to save his wife. Inquisitor had nearly killed his son. He noticed a trickle of blood running down Adrien's arm.  The sight of the crimson liquid brought him back to himself. Suddenly overcome with the need to hold him and  _know_  he was alright, Gabriel reached out.

“Adrien,” Gabriel sighed, stepping forward without conscious thought. Adrien stepped back in the same way, needing to keep space between them. “My son, I—”

“Father,” Adrien replied. “You . . . how could you do it? You hurt people! Marinette! Me! How could you do it?”

“It was for the greater good,” Gabriel said, his voice begging his son to understand something he was no longer sure of himself. “I  _had_  to do what I did to try to save her. Emilie, she was such a bright light. The world was better with her in it. I. . . I _had_ to bring her back.”

“And to do that you made the world darker?” Adrien asked, his voice still tear-filled as he continued to attempt to come to grips with the fact that his father was  _Hawkmoth._

“Only to draw you out,” Gabriel replied, reaching for his son again, pulling back when Adrien recoiled again.

“I never killed anyone,” Gabriel whispered, pleading with Adrien to understand. He  _needed_  his son to understand. He couldn't bear to lose him. "If I'd known it was you I wouldn't have. I wouldn't have risked you. I  _couldn't_ have. Adrien, I--"

“You almost killed us! Me! Your own son,” Adrien snapped, rage rising up to take the place of the cold shock and pain he had been feeling. “Was it worth that? Was risking our lives worth it?!”

“No!” Gabriel replied instantly, not missing the way they both flinched at the force of his voice. That, too, was his fault. He was responsible for the damage that had been done to these children. His child. He looked at them, the wounds visible without their suits and the ones he knew where there even if he couldn't see them. This was his fault. His selfish wish had caused this. It hadn't been worth it, even had he succeeded. 

“It wasn’t," he said more softly, the force of his guild dampening his speech. "That’s why I stopped him, Adrien. More than once. He was a mistake. Too cruel, not just upset. Insane. I should have picked more carefully.” Adrien looked at him incredulously. His father really thought that he should have picked more carefully. He still didn't get it. Didn't understand that he shouldn't have done it at all. 

“He’s telling the truth,” Marinette said, her soft voice cutting easily through the tension and stopping Adrien's angry retort. “He saved my life, Adrien. Inquisitor . . . he . . . he was going to . . . going to kill me. H-he wanted to keep hurting me. Your father . . . he . . . he made him stop. Dressed my wounds. He . . . he didn’t want this. Not like this. I could see. He tried to stop it.”

“How can you defend him? All those people he akumatized,” Adrien stuttered, turning to her incredulously, “that hurt people too.”

“No one ever died,” Gabriel said. “I made sure of it.”

“Death isn’t the only thing that hurts people,” Adrien replied, shaking his head sadly thinking of all the days he’s spent locked away, alone. How even this crate was too tight when he wasn’t Cat Noir. The knowledge that he couldn’t just destroy his way out if he had too, it didn’t feel like there was enough air. The man who had been Inquisitor groaned and began to stir.

“What do we do about him?” Gabriel asked, looking at the other man with disgust. “He’s seen all of us. And I’ve been in his mind. He will kill. He has killed.”

“My miraculous ladybug power could maybe clear us from his mind,” Marinette offered. “I’ve never used it that way but I think it could work. It clears the rest of the mess.”

“You’re too injured,” Adrien argued. “I don’t think you could transform, and you definitely can’t throw a yoyo.” Marinette looked uncertain but didn't argue with him. She would find a way if that was what it took to keep them safe. She was fairly sure she could handle herself but her parents. No, she would do what she had to to protect them. 

“We could kill him,” Gabriel proposed, unsure if he could kill a person, even an evil one. “He was going to kill you. He has killed. He will kill again. Maybe we should just-”

“We don’t  _kill_  people!” Adrien snapped, wondering if he had ever even known his father. While he had been cold, he had never seemed capable of murder. Y _ou didn't know he was Hawkmoth, either_ , he thought morosely.

“Then let her try,” Gabriel snapped back, irritated that Adrien was just shooting down ideas and not offering any of his own. “He’s seen us, Son. He’ll tell the world. We have to do something!”

“If you’re done being Hawkmoth it doesn’t matter,” Adrien countered. _“You_ were our only enemy. There’s no need of Ladybug or Cat Noir without Hawkmoth.” There was a tense silence as the two of them stared at one another waiting for the other to give in. Marinette shifted uncomfortably, knowing that they couldn't kill him or let him leave with the knowledge of them. She would have to be the one to fix this. No one else could. And even if his identity was blown she didn't want to lead him to Master Fu. She would have to fix it. She closed her eyes and forced herself upright against the wall, the motion leaving her short of breath

“Mr. Agreste, I. . . I-I’ll need my earrings back,” Marinette said, holding her hand out. “I can’t fix this without them.”

“No, Marinette, no,” Adrien muttered, kneeling beside her, not quite turning his back on his father and placing a hand on her cheek. “It’s not worth it. The secret’s not worth it. No one else knows what he wanted the miraculous for or has the power to take them. It doesn’t matter if the whole world knows. It would take another miraculous holder to pose a real threat.”

_“He_  knows,” she said sadly, glancing at the man in the corner. “He knows why your father wanted them. Knows that yours and mine together enable a wish. He’s twisted, Adrien. Dark. He can’t be trusted. Your family is protected but what about mine? Our friends? He, the world, they could use them against us. I  _have_  to fix it. I have to try. Mr. Agreste?” He nodded coming forward to give them to her, only to have his path blocked by his son. Even without his baton and disguise, Adrien looked prepared to fight him. 

“I won’t hurt her,” he promised, holding his hands out in front of him. “I just want to give her the earrings.”

“Give them to me,” Adrien countered. “I don’t want you near her. Not with her already injured.” Gabriel nodded, placing them in his son’s open hand. Adrien waited until he backed away again to turn back towards the girl and help her place the earrings. It hurt that his son didn’t trust him, but he understood why. With all the secrets between them, he wasn't sure trust was something they would ever have again. 

“Marinette?” Tiki asked, flying up and placing a hand on a bruise. “You’re hurt. What happened? Where are we? ” She looked around seeing Gabriel and Adrien and a stranger and froze. Marinette smiled at the kwami.

“I’ll be fine, Tiki,” she promised, bringing her right hand up to stroke the little creature. “But right now, we have a job to do. We have to set things right. He's seen us. Do you think the Miraculous cure can fix that?” Tiki nodded, but her antennae did not suggest that she was either happy or optimistic about the prospect. Marinette was far too pale, her features pinched. Tiki knew that it was within her powers, but did Marinette have it in her?

“Are you sure?” Adrien asked, his green eyes thick with concern. Marinette offered him a sad smile. “You don’t have to do this. We can protect your family.”

“Tiki,” she whispered, closing her eyes. “Spots on.” He watched as her face contorted during the start of what was normally a painless transformation before a pink light flashed leaving a panting Ladybug where Marinette had sat moments before.

“M’lady?” Adrien asked, when she didn’t open her eyes immediately.

“I’m fine,” she muttered, her voice tight with pain. “I just need to . . .” Her fingers fumbled as she tried to get her yoyo.

“Here,” he offered, his voice hard as he unclipped her yoyo from her waist, placing it in her hand. “Do it quickly and be done.” She nodded, moving to try to rise. “Stay down,” he hissed. “You’re already being stupid, don’t make it worse.”

“I need to be outside,” she snapped back. “I'm sure the damage isn't only here and there's no opening in the crate. How else am I going to get there? Are you going to carry me?”

“Not the first time, Bugaboo,” he replied, a sly smile in place that didn't seem to match his features as Adrien. She again marveled that she had never made the connection between the two of them. 

“Don’t call me that,” she muttered. “Cat Noir has carried me. Not Adrien. It doesn't matter if you're the same person, it's not the same,” she replied, still not used to the idea of them being one and the same. Some part of her brain rejecting the idea that the boy she liked and the partner she respected who annoyed her with his flirting were the same person. 

“If it makes it better, Plagg?” the kwami nodded muttering "you owe me a plate of Camembert for this," and Adrien smiled before finishing the phrase “claws out. I can be Cat Noir.”

“Silly kitty,” she sighed, feeling just a bit more comfortable with the change, “Just help me up. I don’t need to be carried.” He moved to her left side to help her up only to stiffen at his father’s voice.

“The other side would be better,” Gabriel offered. When Cat Noir, such an obstinate child his son, moved to ignore him he added. “Her ribs are broken and the other side would cause her less pain. But whatever you think is best.” Cat Noir said nothing but moved to the other side to boost his friend and partner to her feet. She groaned and her face contorted, but she didn’t ask him to stop.

“See,” she panted. “he’s only trying to help.”

“It’s  _his_  fault,” Cat Noir countered. “He  _should_  help.” She said nothing but took a few slow steps towards the door before her legs buckled. He scooped her up before groaning.

“You need to be outside?” he asked, setting her on the floor once more. She nodded and he shook his head. “Cataclysm,” he cried, activating his power before touching the roof of the shipping container, causing it to disintegrate around them. “There, outside,” he said sitting beside her with a smug expression which she ignored.

“Miraculous ladybug,” she said, tossing her yoyo into the air, hoping it went high enough. As the yoyo dropped back to the ground, Cat Noir caught it for her. Once the crate materialized around them, she leaned against him wearily, allowing her transformation to fall away. He stroked her cheek gently, pleased to see that many of the bruises and cuts were gone and she seemed to be breathing easier.

“Cat Noir? Gabriel Agreste? What are we doing here?” the man-formally-akumatized asked, finally waking fully.

“We’re here because you kidnapped this young woman,” Gabriel snapped. “She called me for help, and I called Cat Noir. And you are lucky we came, or she would likely have not survived. Just like the others you told her about.”

“I never told anyone about no others,” the man countered. “And she’s not my type. I prefer blondes.”

“So you admit there were others,” Gabriel replied. “I bet the police will find sufficient evidence here to convict you of multiple murders and kidnappings.” The man said nothing but leaped to his feet, heading for the door of the crate.

“I suggest you restrain him while we wait for the police, _Cat Noir_ ,” Gabriel added. 

“But, Marinette,” he muttered.

“I will see to the young miss,” Gabriel replied. “You take care of the villain.” Cat Noir looked torn, the villain had just admitted to multiple murders and was trying to escape. But he couldn’t leave her. Not with his father. With Hawkmoth. Their enemy. 

“Go,” Marinette said, her voice firm. “I much better than I was. He won’t hurt me. I trust him. I need you to trust me.”

“You trust everyone, Bugaboo,” Cat Noir muttered, pressing a kiss to her forehead and leaning her against the wall. “I swear, if so much—”

“All of her hairs, and earrings, will be in the perfect place on her when you get back,” Gabriel promised. “Go before you lose him.” With on final, uncertain look at Marinette, who tried to smile reassuringly, knowing it fell flat, he shook her head and ran from the crate after the man.  

 


	6. Aftermath and SoulSearching

“You do look better than you were before the . . . cure you called it?” Gabriel began feeling awkward sitting in silence with the girl whose torture he had sanctioned. Marinette nodded closing her eyes wearily, the stress of the day wearing on her. “But you are not completely healed.”

“No,” she said, opening her eyes and offering him a small smile. “For everyone else, the miraculous cure takes care of anything that may have happened to them since I transformed. For me and Cat and the others and, probably you, the only thing it heals are injuries gained while transformed. It would be hard to explain otherwise, no?”

“I suppose,” he replied, unconvinced. It seemed like a silly rule. If it could heal anything that happened to anyone or anything else couldn't it be explained away? But she seemed certain that it had to be the way it was. The silence once more stretched between them, neither sure what to say to the other and Marinette too exhausted to make much effort. It wasn't as if they could make small talk. She was a child, he an adult. There were only two things they had in common; Adrian and design. Adrien was clearly off the table and it wasn’t as if he could discuss fashion designing with her after what he had put her through. Actually . . .

“You have a talent, Marinette,” Gabriel said, his voice shocking her and causing her to jump, having nearly drifted to sleep. “I was willing to assist you with entering the field before but now . . . well . . . I feel that I o--”

“You don’t owe me,” she said, her eyes hard when they glanced up at him. “Not that. I wouldn’t want the advantage, not this way. Thank you, but no.” He nodded. He couldn’t deny that he owed her much more than entry into the fashion world that she could earn on her own merit. He would have to find some way to make it up to her and Adrien though he had no idea how to even begin with his son but for her . . . 

“All the same, the offer stands,” he said. There was another uncomfortable pause before he pulled his phone from his pocket. “Your partner has surely caught the miscreant by now. I’ll just call the police, shall I?”

“What?!” she snapped sitting up straighter with a grimace before resting back against the wall once more. “The-the police? Why?”

“Yes,” he said, wondering if she had head trauma he hadn’t noticed. “The police. They need to collect the man. We'll all need to make a statement, of course, and they’ll probably want to take you to the hospital to be examined. Which is truly for the best, your ribs were broken. There is no telling what kind of internal damage he may have done. Especially as patchy as your miraculous cure apparently is. That might actually be a good thing,” he mused. "It's hard to prove kidnapping and torture with no marks, isn't it?"

“I . . . statement . . . hospital . . . no, that can’t happen,” she stuttered, looking up at him in panic again. “My parents. I-I have to get home. They’re going to be worried. If I make a statement I’ll have to lie. I-I can’t lie. Not to the police. And the hospital, my parents would find out.”

“My dear girl,” Gabriel scoffed, “it’s past mid-afternoon. You were taken before dawn. They already know something happened to you. If they have any kind of sense, that is. And you don’t have to lie. You tell them he took you and tortured you.” He ignored her flinch at his matter-of-fact tone and continued, “you don’t have to mention that you were Ladybug at the time. The rest of it is true. That's the key to a good lie, you have to stay as close to the truth as possible. You can even tell them he wanted you to call Cat Noir. ”

“What about me?” asked a voice from the door, dragging a trussed-up man despite the improbability of it due to the difference in size. He took one look at Gabriel’s expression of exasperation to Marinette’s of panic before feeling anger swell within him once more.

“What did you do to her?” he snapped, placing himself between his father and his friend once more. He had to ignore the way his heart clinched at the look of betrayal on his father's face before it faded to resignation and anger.

“Nothing,” Gabriel sighed, wishing the mask didn’t give his son the bravery to speak to him that way. “I merely mentioned that I was going to call the police to arrest him and take her statement and transport her to the hospital for examination.”

“I can’t go,” she muttered, currling around herself slightly. “I-I have to go home. Cat, my-my parents—“

“You need to go to the hospital,” Cat Noir sighed, knowing he owed his father an apology but unwilling to offer it. “I’ll stay with you through it all if you like.” She deflated at the offer, smiling slightly at the kwami patting her neck from under her hair in comfort. She knew they were right but it did nothing to stop the swirling in her gut when she thought of the lies she was about to have to tell or the worry that she had put her parents through.

“What do I tell my parents?” she asked, regretting the words the moment they came out of her mouth. Cat's eyes tightened and his throat worked against his emotions, refusing to cry with an audience at the betrayal of his own father. He opened his mouth to speak but another beat him to it. 

“The truth,” Gabriel replied snidely before his son could. “Parents tend to appreciate that.”

“So do children,” Cat Noir shot back. Gabriel bristled only restraining himself when he remembered their interloper. He couldn't yell at his son without revealing his identity to the man.  _Assuming the shoddy cure even erased it in the first place_ , he thought bitterly. It likely had, given that the man had given no indication that he recognized any of them to be more than human. 

“I’m going to make the call,” he said stepping out. No one replied but there was nothing left to say.

ooOO88OOoo

The rest of the afternoon passed in a blur of activity. All three of them made their statements to the police, corroborating of course, and Adrien watched with fascination and disgust as his father lied his way through. Never once did his face or demeanor betray his untruth as he told of the call from Marinette to his son, him contacting Cat Noir and heading to the crate to defend her, Cat Noir’s arrival and the subsequent subduing of the kidnapper. He wished he could be closer to Marinette as she fumbled through her kidnap, torture and rescue trying to stay as true as possible while leaving out major details. Thankfully, his part was truer. He was called, he came, he saved her. Even so, it was difficult to contain his fury and hurt at the discovery that his father was Hawkmoth. Rodger seemed to think it was directed at the kidnapper, and Cat let him think it.

He watched as Marinette was loaded into an ambulance, her gaze begging him to come. He was about to argue with the EMT who told him it was against policy, even for superheroes, to come with a witness during a police investigation, but Marinette shook her head. ‘It’s ok,’ she mouthed. ‘see you later.’ He watched her sorrowful eyes as the door closed, only to see her lean against the cot. Resting or resigned he couldn’t tell. His father tried to catch his arm but he wasn’t ready. Not yet. Before he could think too hard about it, Cat Noir was across the rooftops of Paris, sitting on the Eifel Tower. The same place all of this had begun hours before. The place his life had begun to crumble around him. Mindless of the fact that no mortal man could easily reach his perch, he let the transformation drop, catching Plag.

“What do I do now?” he asked his kwami who looked up at him with the most serious expression he had yet seen from the creature.

“I don’t know,” Plag said sitting on his shoulder nudging his cheek. Adrien couldn’t stop the tears that fell at the gentle gesture.  It was a mark of just how upset Plag knew he was that never once did he mention the Camembert that they could both smell in Adrien’s chest pocket.

ooOO88OOoo

Later that evening, when he was feeling calmer, Adrien made his way to the hospital. As little as he liked them, it was better than being home. He questioned that decision when he entered the room to find Marinette sitting in the middle of a hospital bed, knees pulled to her chest and thin blankets gathered around her like a shield, looking impossibly small. She flinched at the door opening, only to relax when she recognized him.

“Hi,” she whispered, a small smile gracing her face. “How are you?” He sighed and shrugged but gave her no verbal answer. She nodded, her smile falling. “I’m sorry,” she said softly. He couldn’t help the wry grin that crossed his face. Sitting in the hospital and she’s apologizing to him that his father is responsible for her injuries. He still couldn’t bring himself to say anything because he wouldn’t lie to her and no appropriate reply would be true.

“You look tired,” he said sitting beside her on the edge of the bed.

“I am,” she agreed, leaning her head back against the bed. “They want me to stay overnight. Observation they said,  and I just . . . and my parents had to go. The bakery, you know, and the door . . . the door. . . I can't. . . “ she trailed off, running a hand through her hair, the bruises on her wrist standing out against her pale skin. He surprised them both by reaching out and grasping her free hand in his. She looked at him, everything but her eyes frozen midgesture. She didn't pull away but managed to breathe his name, the word clearly a question. 

“Sleep, Bugaboo,” he said softly, wrapping her small hand in both of his, stroking the back of it with his thumb. “I’ll stay with you. No one that isn’t supposed to come through that door will. I swear.”

“You need sleep too,” she argued, placing her other hand on top of his. “You should go—“

“Where?” he cut her off sharply, not missing her flinch. He smiled sadly at her and made an effort to soften his tone, “I don’t know where I’m going to go. I . . . he . . . what am I going to do, Marinette? He’s my father and he . . . he’s our enemy. He's _Hawkmoth_.”

“He didn’t know it was you,” she countered. "He didn't have any idea."

“What does that matter?” Adrien asked, exasperated, hearing his own tone shoot towards desperation and unable to stop it. “He still hurt people and for what!? A wish? He knew there would be a cost, magic always has a cost. _Nothing_ is free but he was willing to trade a life for hers. And the trade would have to be equal. Someone he cares about. That’s a small list, Marinette. Me and maybe Nathalie. Would he have traded her for mom? Would he have traded me!?” It broke her heart so see his green eyes filling with doubt and tears. No one should ever have to doubt their parent’s love for them.

“I don't know. You'll have to ask him, but he wouldn’t trade mine,” she reminded him. “Inquisitor wanted to kill me. More than once. He stopped him. And I think I mean much less to him than you do. I think he would have stopped. If it came to that, he would have stopped.”

“He put me in danger often enough,” Adrien retorted. “As myself, not Cat Noir. The fashion show, Gorzilla, every akuma at the school. If he cared he would have kept them away from me.” She had no argument for that that would do anything to assuage his hurt so she kept silent. Despite her efforts to stay awake, she could feel her head start nodding as the stress of the day bled out through the place his thumb was rubbing on the back of her hand. Suddenly it was gone, the gentle touch moving to brush her hair from the side of her face.

“Sleep, Milady,” he muttered. “We can talk about this more tomorrow.” She made a small, noncommittal noise in her throat before her breathing evened out and sleep claimed her. Despite her fears of nightmares, it was a dreamless one.


End file.
